The Night is Darkest Before the Dawn
by somethinglike528491
Summary: Rachel returns to Gotham to find Bruce still living a double life. Bruce and Rachel's relationship hits a bump on the road. Rachel begins work on a rocky start which forces her to rethink her life. Meanwhile, Gotham is at peace since batman first appeared four years ago but a new enemy rises from the darkness and shakes things up.
1. Saturday Night

1  
It feels as if I'd never left Gotham city. The wide streets, the bright city lights; everything brings back beautiful memories. I decided I would no longer delay my encounter with Bruce, since the last time I saw him was my last day here. I jump on the next taxi I see and tell him to go straight to the Long Beach Bar in 57th. Going past O'Reilly's tailoring on Avenue X reminds me of Bruce's suits. His iconic pinstriped three-piece grey suit was my favourite. He always made an impression on me and never failed to surprise me. The cab stops to a halt on 53rd, a few blocks away from the bar, and I'm forced to walk the rest of the way. Gotham really lights up at night now that the Broadway-style sign at the Simon Ford Theatre brightens up the street like rays from the sun. This place is starting to feel like Las Vegas. I just passed the sign on 56th and and I quickly notice the Fulvian Hotel right beside the bar and I cross the street. I brought a sequined green dress with me in my suitcase that goes up to my knees. Since Bruce will surely be wearing a stunning suit, probably the one he knows I love, I want to wear the dress he loves. After 20 minutes of changing, applying make-up and fixing my hair, I walk out of the bathroom looking beautiful and radiant, ready to impress.  
I walk in the bar and all I can hear are the voices of the people around me and the loud music in the background. Not as loud as those dirty nightclubs like the one on 62nd though, this volume is fairly good. I keep an eye out for Bruce around the crowd and spot him sitting by the bar, and surprisingly, alone. I stand still for a second, noticing a completely new suit he's wearing. I've never seen it before, but I'd forgotten how stunning he looked in black. I start slowly walking toward him, thinking about what my first words to him will be, but my voice gets ahead of myself. 'Is this seat taken?' He slowly turns his head and recognizes me and puts on a smile so big I start to think he didn't know I was coming.  
'Rachel!' he shrieked,  
'Hey stranger!' I reply.  
He stands up to give me a long, cuddly hug. I'd forgotten how his embraces felt. So nice and warm, they make you feel like home. It's very rare for him to give out hugs, but he never hesitates to put his arms around me whenever he sees me.  
'How are you?' I say,  
'I've been very good you know, doing the usual things, running a company. How have you been? How was your trip?'  
'I've been good, same old, same old. The plane ride didn't feel very long actually, it was a nice flight.'  
He gives me a nod while smiling and orders a scotch on the rocks and turns to me, 'Oh the same, please.' He gives a slight chuckle and says 'I forgot we both had a like for scotch,' I take a sip of my scotch and reply 'If we ever run out of scotch in the world and share the last bottle, we'd be in trouble!' He laughs and turns his chair toward me and stares into my eyes.  
'It's good to have you back, Rach.' He says,  
'It's good to be back,'  
We stare at each other for what feels like five minutes, just looking into each other's eyes, analysing our every detail in our faces. His eyes look slightly green since the light behind me seems to be hitting directly in his face. I drink my glass of scotch by taking big, heavy gulps and exhale, thinking about the tension in our conversation.

This bar brings back a lot of memories, but mostly, the fresh memory of my last day in Gotham. The sound of my shoes walking away toward the door, leaving Bruce behind. After a few steps from the door, I heard Bruce chasing me and begging me not to go. I couldn't stay any longer in Gotham since there were too many reminders of my awful past, so I walked away. He ran to me and grabbed my arm to turn me around and kissed me. An indescribable feeling swept through me, my arms, my legs, making me want more. That kiss nearly made me stay. It reminded me why moving to Seattle was such a bad idea because I wouldn't see Bruce everyday anymore. But as much as the idea hurt me and made me want to rip myself apart, I quickly came back to reality. I cut off from his lips and whispered _'I love you' _with tears running down my cheeks. I'll never forget his face. I could see his heart shattering right in front of me through his eyes. I hurt him in ways nobody but me could imagine.  
He clears his throat and orders a gin and tonic, which I know is his weak drink. By the time he's drinking two gin and tonics, he's already feeling woozy. I'm tempted to take his drink away since I don't want him inebriated in the middle of the night, but I don't want him to know I'm thinking about that, so I let him drink it. When he finishes his drink he stands up and leaves a twenty and a ten on the bar table.  
'What are you doing?'  
'Come, you haven't been in town for a long time, you deserve a nice night.'  
We walk along the streets of Gotham hand in hand and he drags me into the observatory. We walk into a luxurious restaurant and a well-dressed waiter leads us to our table on the balcony. Although the restaurant is filled with people, there are no people sitting in the terrace which leads me to believe that Bruce made a special request.  
'Wow, what a nice place! I'm impressed, Mr Wayne,'  
'Oh Rachel, when have I disappointed you. May I also point out how ravishing you look tonight?'  
'Thank you! And may I say how awfully handsome you look in that three piece silk black suit, shirt and tie and single-buttoned peak lapelled jacket?'  
'you've learned your vocabulary, congratulations!'  
'Yes, well countless visits to your tailor certainly helped.'  
We stare at the menu for some time and call the waiter to order.

As Bruce eats his black caviar and I eat my filet mignon, I stare at Bruce for some time trying to catch a glimpse of his eyes. I've always felt that his eyes revealed his feelings and his problems. And I was right. We finish eating and the waiter withdraws our plates from the table. Bruce orders a piece of black forest cake with a bottle of their finest wine.  
'How was your caviar?' I ask, trying to get some words out of him.  
'It was really okay. Le Benardin has a better dish in my opinion.'  
I turn to my left to see the moon atop the city wrapped in a pool of stars. It really is lovely here; I forgot how astonishing Gotham looked at night. I phase out of my thoughts to find Bruce's gaze on me. I turn back to him and see his stern face turn into a sheepish smile.  
'I'm sorry; it's just that you… Look wonderful. I love that green dress it's always been my favorite.'  
'Yes, I distinctly remember.' I say, smiling back.  
The waiter arrives with the dessert and with a bottle of Petrus Pomerol merlot. I see Bruce flinch at the sight of the wine and I know instantly that the restaurant's finest wine is equal to his cheapest.  
'Well, this will do it.' He says. Surprisingly, he doesn't send it back.  
'So tell me, how was Seattle?' He asks.  
'Very humid and it is an abnormally rainy city in the fall.' I answer.  
'So I hear.'  
'What about you? What has been happening while I was away?' I'm prepared to hear about criminals, war, Gotham's problems and the mob but he doesn't mention anything to do with crime.  
'Well everything has been fine the last couple of months. The company's value has increased considerably and Lucius has agreed to take care of its finances. I hear there's a new girl at your law firm and I also heard Derek's chief of surgery at Gotham General'

'Yeah, Webber finally gave him the job. And what happened to Alicia, didn't she handle your money?'

'Alicia's gone. She moved to Hong Kong to work for a company called Kefton a month after you left. I thought she'd told you, wasn't she a close friend of yours?' I was shocked to hear that Alicia had left. To think that she'd have to notify the firm 6 months prior to her departure and knowing she could have had time to tell me she was going is angering.

'Not a friend so much as an acquaintance' I reply. 'What about Alfred, how is he doing?'

'He's fine, he's been helping me a lot with… you know. He's very glad to know that you're back and he can't wait to see you.' I'm very happy to know that Alfred's okay. The last time I saw him even he asked me not to go. In a subtle message, of course, but I got the idea.

'_...You and I are the only thing he has, you know.' _Alfred said. I knew what he was implying straight away.  
_'I know. But I really want to go somewhere else and discover different things. My world has always been set in Gotham city and I need to know if I can find a different setting.' _I said._  
'Are you sure that what you're going to find what you're looking for?'  
'I cannot be sure, but I can at least hope to find out.'_

'And what about you?' I ask, hoping to hear good news.  
'I've… been missing you. Not missing you but missing your presence. You've left a big hole to fill and really there is no one to fill it.' He says, fiddling with his fork. I feel that I have the need to tell him that I have been feeling the same thing. That my nights in Seattle have been restless without having Bruce by my side. That my Saturday afternoons haven't been the same without spending them at his penthouse, listening to music and cooking whilst dancing. That my life has felt a little bit empty without him. That I missed him. But I don't say anything about it. I simply smile and say, 'I've missed you too.'

We catch a cab to his penthouse and when the elevator doors open, I immediately see Alfred in the far distance. As I walk towards him, I find myself crying out Alfred's name across the living room and extending my arms ready to give him a hug.

'Miss Dawes! How happy am I to see you.' He says,  
'Me too, Alfred. Have you been taking care of Bruce?' I ask, jokingly but slightly serious.  
'Oh, always.' He replied. 'Well I'm off. I've left some fettuccine in the microwave if you'd like some later and I left a bottle of champagne chilling in the fridge. Lovely to see you Miss Dawes, as always.' Alfred walks to the elevator and I wave goodbye as the doors close. Bruce drags my suitcase upstairs and I turn on the television. It's set on Gotham City Tonight and to my surprise, I find it recording. I start to wonder why when I remember that Bruce never has free time to watch television. Only I didn't think he'd devote his free time watching the news. I quickly switch to the stereo input on the television and flick through his playlist. I find a whole lot of Coldplay songs and Florence + the Machine. Either one of his one-night stands fiddled with his playlist or he knew I was going to flick through his music and decided to put some of my favourite songs in his playlist. I play one of my favorites and start dancing and singing in a low voice. Seconds later I find him standing on the stairway watching me and I stop in embarrassment, blushing.

'I see you found the remote.' He says, smiling.  
'I know you always keep it under the couch. Why you never put it back in its place after the girl goes back home is beyond me.' I reply.  
He lets out a slight chuckle and leads me to the kitchen, 'Come on, let's open that bottle of champagne.'

We spend the rest of the night dancing in the kitchen, like the old times while we cook some chicken we found in the fridge to accompany the fettuccine and we season it with some of the champagne. We laugh and start to get a little drunk. We get through his one-hour playlist 3 times until the big clock in his living room strikes three. By the time we finish cooking and fooling around with the food (and by fooling around I mean throwing it at each other), we're too tired to even plate up the chicken and decide it was time to sleep. We put the food in the fridge and head upstairs. I go to the guest bedroom and find my suitcase on the bed. I go through it and find I have no sleeping clothes. I can't believe I didn't pack my pyjamas. I hesitate for a minute thinking that I'll have to sleep in this dress for the night and go shopping tomorrow. I look around the room and find some neatly folded pyjamas by the foot of the bed. The pyjamas I used to wear whenever I slept at Bruce's house. My grey silk pyjamas. I change into them and hang my dress in the empty closet.

I walk towards the door, opening it to find Bruce on the other side dressed in his red silk pyjamas.

'I just came to say goodnight,' he said,  
'Goodnight Bruce,' I said, giving him a hug. He smiled and walked back to his room and closed the door. I closed my door and walked to my bed. I lied down and stared at the ceiling for what felt like hours. I turned to the clock and only thirty minutes had passed by. I turned face-down on my pillow and I twist and turn until I realize that I can't sleep and that there is only one reason why. I walk to the door and walk towards the hallway to find Bruce also walking out of his room. We stand still staring into each other's eyes and after a few moments we walk towards each other and stop when we're a few centimetres away from each other. We stare at each other again until he quickly leans in to me and kisses me. I kiss him back. The moment is passionate, and amazing. He puts his hand around my neck and I put mine on his cheek. We start moving towards the guest room. When we head in he kicks the door closed and we jump on the bed. We stop kissing and look at each other. He leans on the bed with his elbow and lays beside me with his chest over me and his face looking over me. I hug him tightly and give him a soft kiss on his lips. We fall asleep on each other's arms and I start thinking that I finally got my well-deserved Saturday afternoon with Bruce.


	2. Returning to the Past

2  
As I wake up in the morning next to an empty space in the right side of my bed, I start remembering slight flashbacks from yesterday. The bar, the restaurant, Alfred, Bruce,  
_that kiss_… The kiss that reminded me of how much I missed Bruce, and probably how much I loved him. I wasn't sure if it was the kind of love between good friends or between man and woman. I was too confused at this point.  
I get up from my bed and wear a pair of slippers that Bruce left beside the bed. I walk to the hallway and walk toward Bruce's bedroom to find his bed neatly done and no Bruce in sight. I close the door and slowly start to make my way downstairs to the living room. I start to hear a sizzle and the slam of a closing cabinet from the kitchen and find Bruce cooking some breakfast.

'Oh I'm sorry, did I wake you? I really tried to make the least noise that I could but I really am not good at this,' he said. The sole sight of Bruce trying to cook brought a smile to my face.  
'Here, let me help you,' I said.  
'No, don't. I want to do something special for you.' Coming from Bruce, I really think that he was trying to do something special, considering that he had never cooked before.  
'How do you know what to do anyway?' I ask, curiously.  
'You'll be surprised at what kind of things you can find when you look for them.' He said.

I went upstairs and looked for my phone through my handbag. I have so many things in it that it's starting to look like a travel bag instead. I find my phone through all my things and I quickly turn it on. I realized that I had not turned my phone on since I arrived to Gotham so I must have a hundred missed calls. I go through my recent calls and find that Derek has been calling me non-stop and must be worried that I do not return his calls. I dial his number and press call. After just a few beeps, I hear his voice.

'Derek, hey it's Rachel.' I say,  
'Oh my god Rach, hi, why haven't you answered your phone?'  
'I'm sorry; I forgot I had turned it off. How have you been?' I ask,  
'I've been better. I just got called up for an emergency craniotomy. Are you going to come by the hospital today?' I had forgotten that I was supposed to meet up with Derek so he could give me my things from my old apartment. After all, I left in such a hurry that I didn't worry about my personal belongings; I just wanted to leave everything behind.  
'Yeah, sure, when will you be free?'  
'Well I'm on call so not tonight. How about in two hours? The surgery's not going to take too long.'  
'Okay I'll see you at one.' I hang up and I realize that I'm going to have to hurry if I want to get there on time since the hospital is half an hour away. Hopefully Bruce won't have anything planned. I run downstairs to the kitchen and see two plates with two eggs sunny side up, a piece of bacon and a spoonful of mashed potatoes.

I point to the mashed potatoes and I ask, 'Where did you get this from?'  
'Alfred made it yesterday morning and I made the rest now. Bon appetit!'  
'Thank you! It looks delicious.' I say,  
'Well let's hope it tastes as good it looks,' he says with a slight grin.

I take a bite of the eggs and it tastes fine except for one slight mishap.

'You forgot the salt!' I say, giggling like a little girl. He starts laughing and starts looking for the salt through the kitchen cabinets. After opening three or four he finally finds it and hands it over to me. He places his plate on the bench in the middle of the kitchen and sits in front of me. I suddenly remember that I have to meet Derek soon and I haven't told Bruce yet.

'By the way, I have to meet up with Derek at the hospital to pick up my things.'  
'Oh sure, do you want me to go with you?' He asks. I want to say yes because I feel like spending the whole day with him but I know Mark's going to be at the hospital and I don't want him thinking I've moved on after a day of returning to Gotham; especially if he sees me closer with Bruce. I stay quiet for a couple of seconds trying to work out if I should say yes or no but I realize that I have been quiet for too long and answer.

'No thanks, it's okay. It will be brief anyway.' I reply.  
'Are you sure? At least let me drive you.' I can agree to that. It's not like Mark would ask to accompany me to the car.  
'Alright.'

We both finish our breakfast and go upstairs. Bruce has a quick shower and I start to get dressed since I take too long to shower. I look through my suitcase to find anything suitable to wear and only find my formal black pants and my business blouse which I was going to wear tomorrow. I walk by Bruce's bedroom and find his door slightly open. I slowly open it more and see him wearing his pants but shirtless with his back toward me. I watch him dress himself for a few seconds and then walk away. I go back to my room and go through my suitcase again to find a peach-colored knee-high dress. I decide to wear it and pair it with a thick black belt and a pair of black high-heeled shoes. I don't tie my hair up, leaving it flowing on my back and apply a smoky rose colored lipstick. I hear a knock on my door and open it, not knowing what to expect. Will it be Bruce in a suit?

'Ready?' He asks. Yes, it is Bruce in a suit; a three-piece grey suit with pinstripes and a maroon-colored tie. And he looks dashing, as always.  
'Ready.' I answer.

We drive off in his Rolls Royce and he drops me off at the hospital while he checks on Wayne Enterprises. He agrees to pick me up in an hour at the hospital entrance.

I walk to the front desk and ask the nurse to page Dr. Shepherd. I've always felt a shiver run through me at the sound of my last name. I've completely forgotten about it since I changed it to Dawes. Being a family of doctors and having a famous neurosurgeon's last name isn't always as lovely as meadows and rainbows as anyone would think. Compared to being a successful worldwide-known surgeon, being a low-paid lawyer isn't exactly something you'd want to brag about. I take a seat in the waiting area, catching sight of many families waiting to hear from their doctors to see how their loved ones are doing. Some crying, others finding comfort in a warm cup of coffee.

After fifteen minutes, I ask the nurse to page Derek again. I have now only forty-five minutes to have a brief conversation, pick up my things and wait for Bruce outside. I walk towards my seat when I see Mark walking out of the elevator and I feel a rush of blood flow through my head. I thought I might run into Mark but I never thought I was ready to see him again. He sees me and waves at me and I nervously wave back. I start to panic but then remember what really happened before I left. He cheated on me with Addison, Derek's ex-wife. To top it off, I found out an hour before our one-year anniversary dinner when I arrived to the hospital early and I saw Mark come out of the on-call room seconds after Addison had walked out with messy hair and her shirt buttons un-done. I may have been naïve but I actually thought that I was imagining things. He later told me a day before I was leaving at my farewell party my peers hosted at a friend's house. He admitted it right after I proposed that we should break our relationship because long-distance was a joke. When in Seattle I found out that he was still seeing her. So why should I feel ashamed or nervous?

'Rachel! How are you?' He says. He extends his arms and gives me a hug and I unwittingly return it.  
'Mark! I'm very good, what about you?' I ask.  
'Very good actually, I just finished a skin graft for a little boy without an ear.'  
'That's wonderful; I hope the surgery goes well.' I say, remembering the nights where he'd have to stay back to work on his skin grafts and he would invite me to show me what he had worked on. I'm no medical expert but from what I'd heard and what I'd seen, his skin grafts were perfect.  
'I've been seeing somebody.' He says. Those four words hit me like a slam in the face. Not only did he cheat on me, tell me moments after I break up with him and have a relationship with the woman he cheated on me with, but a day after I come back from a four-year-long trip he tells me that he's seeing someone.  
'Really? That's good that you're happy. How is Addison doing?' I ask, forcing such a big smile that I think he even knows it's fake.  
'Actually, it's not Addison, it's someone else. Addison moved to California to work at some kind of seaside clinic.' He says. Now it's getting unbelievable.  
'Oh… Well that's good, I hope you're happy.' I say. I couldn't help but look sad for a slight second. I hoped that he wouldn't have noticed, but apparently he did.  
'I'm sorry to give you the news like this. I thought you deserved to know so it wouldn't cause you a surprise if you ever saw me with her.' He said. Maybe he was right, but the thought that he would feel that I was saddened by the thought of him being in a relationship while I was gone angered me.  
'Don't be sorry; why would it be a surprise? You're Mark Sloan. Anything regarding you and two or more women does no longer surprise me.' I say. Hopefully this will do to end the conversation. We stand quietly for a moment. He starts to walk slowly backwards.  
'Well it was nice seeing you after so long. Maybe we can grab a cup of coffee sometime.'  
'Sure' I say. _Maybe sometime around ten years when I'm happily married and you're a hopeless drunk.  
_Just when he starts to walk away, he turns around and walks back towards me.  
'Oh and I forgot to ask, how was Seattle?' He asks me.  
'It was very interesting. I learned a lot and met so many nice people. Everything is lovely over there. It was actually not all about work and projects so much as having fun and enjoying something different.' I said. I couldn't help but notice the puzzled look on his face, as if I'd just said the Earth was flat.  
'But if Seattle was so good, why are you back?' This was even harder to take than hearing about his new girlfriend. _Damn, Derek Hurry up! _I thought.

I start to wonder what it was that made me come back to Gotham. I had everything organized. I had a good apartment, a stable job to which I had recently gotten a promotion and a group of amazing friends. My mind went blank when suddenly I start to remember the day I got my PhD. There was a large ceremony filled with scholars, lecturers, Nobel Prize winners and my fellow peers. We were all standing on a stage and there were about 200-300 people sitting before us, watching the presentation. About eighty per cent of the graduates were waving to their families. Some were smiling to their small children, others running towards their partners for a big hug and others were jumping around in excitement whilst showing their parents the piece of paper that would determine their future. I stood still through all the commotion and sighed in relief. No more one-day assignments, no more pile of books by my bed and no more stress. I was done. I was done with no one to share it all with. I later went back home and found myself in a small, pitch-black apartment eating Mr Chiang's Chinese take-out for one whilst watching The Late Night Show with David Letterman. I was all alone. That's why I came back. I needed someone by my side to help me through everything; to congratulate me. I was tired of walking into an empty room every night and falling asleep two hours later only to wake up at six in the morning and do it all over again.

All of these thoughts went through my head in less than ten seconds. I opened my mouth to say something when I feel a tap on my shoulder. _Saved by the bell _I think.


	3. Pound Until it Hurts

3

'Hello! I'm sorry I took so long, I got dragged to another patient.' Derek says. I was too relieved to pretend that nothing was going on and I let out a big smile at the sight of him.

'Ah, am I glad to see you! Come here and give me a big hug.' Derek leaned into me and gave me a nice, warm hug. He held me so tight I thought he was never going to let me go.  
'I can't believe it's been four years, I've missed you so much!' I say, meaning my words. I've missed having my brother around giving me advice on my problems. After I left we didn't talk too much because I had a lot of work to do and we only spoke once a month, if that.

'Well, I'll let you two talk, I'm due to be paged for my surgery anyway. Nice to see you, Rachel.' Mark says. 'Nice to see you too. Good luck!' I let out. I sit down with Derek and talk about my trip and the work and that I am no longer a student, but a professional.

'Congratulations! I'm so proud of you!' He says.  
'Thank you. I just wish mom and dad would have been there to see me.' I say. My eyes started to water at the thought of my father dying and my mother resting beside him. We lost him twenty years ago when he was assaulted by a pair of thugs. My father refused to give them his Rolex and they shot him right in the heart. I was seven and Derek was thirteen. Our other sister, Ariadne, was five. I still remember the day it happened perfectly. Our mother passed away seven years ago from terminal liver cancer.  
'Don't worry, I'm sure they were, are and always will be watching over you.' He says.  
'Over all of us.' I say.  
He starts asking me about things with Bruce and about Mark. He asked me if everything was okay with me and Mark and I told him that they weren't. I told him how angry I was about all of the things he did.  
'You should have expected this, Rachel. You were dealing with Mark. These things can't surprise you.' He says. He was right. It's of no surprise that Mark would do this. Heck, Addison cheated on Derek with Mark. He later went on to have an endless chain of one-night stands and then started a relationship with Lexie Grey, Meredith's half-sister. His "love" life is a hell of a mess.  
'What about you and Bruce. Have you worked anything out?' He asks me. He knows that I've loved Bruce since I was as young as fourteen years old and he was sixteen. He knows our whole history. But most of all, he knows that Bruce and I have shared plenty of memorable moments, many of which were sealed with long, romantic embraces or kisses. Over time nothing really ever happened with Bruce. One night we kiss, a week later he sleeps with a Victoria's Secret supermodel. I've always thought that we had something but he always does something that makes me think that nothing could ever happen. It's a complicated situation. I couldn't hide the fact that he has a special place in my heart though. He's a very special person to me, one that is hard to find.  
'Why don't you talk to him?' Derek asks me.  
'Because sometimes I don't see the point. He's always going to be Bruce.' I reply.  
'Rach, I know Bruce. I know he feels the same way that you do. You just have to talk to him.'  
'What if the same thing happens; what if I fall madly in love with Bruce – '  
' – What if you fall madly in love with Bruce? More than you are now? Rach, I don't think you realize how much you love this man. You dance around with him, you tell him everything except anything that regards your relationship, and you kiss whenever you see each other. If I didn't know your situation, I'd say you're a very happy couple in a relationship. All you have to do is take the leap.' He says. He has a point. I want to be with Bruce… and I am madly in love with him. I've known him for nineteen years. He helped me through my toughest times and celebrated with me on my most happiest; even if many of my happiest moments were the ones where I was celebrating with him. But I was still unsure.  
'… But what if he breaks my heart.' I say. It's hard to think that he would ever do that, but I've trusted people so many times that my trust is no longer given out lightly.  
'Then maybe then would be a good time to let go.'

I look at my watch and notice that there's ten minutes till two and I need to pick up my things from Derek's locker and wait for Bruce outside the hospital.

'I'm sorry Derek, I really have to go. I have to meet Bruce in ten minutes. We'll talk later on the phone?'  
'Sure. Here are the keys; the locker number is on the tag.' He says.  
'Thanks.' I say, giving him a long hug, not wanting to let go myself.  
I quickly start walking away to the residents' locker room when I hear Derek's voice in the distance.  
'Remember what I told you!' I stop walking and turn around.  
'Thanks, I will! Give my best to Mer, Alex, Lexie and Cristina, will you?' I say. He gives me a thumbs up and I start running.

After five minutes I have all of my things ready in a box and leave the hospital. I walk out of the sliding doors and notice the water droplets falling on a photo frame of me and Bruce at a Halloween party from six years ago. I was dressed as snow white and he was dressed as prince charming. I look up at the sky and a heavy rain starts falling down. I phase out the noise from the rain hitting the ground and I hear footsteps heading towards me. I start to hope it's one of the fifth year residents. Instead, I turn my head to find Mark standing beside me on my right, holding an umbrella.

'I couldn't help noticing you were standing out here and I thought you must have been freezing cold.' He says while placing his lab coat over my shoulders.  
'Thank you.' I say, loathing his presence. We stood in the rain for some time when finally his words broke our silence.  
'I really did love you, you know.' He says.  
'I did too, Mark, but it's over now.'  
'No, it's not; because I still do.' His words shocked me. He still loves me? He has to be joking.  
'You still do? You still what. You still want to keep ripping my heart to pieces? So it's not enough having me miles away from you, but you still want to keep destroying me? Why, Mark. Out of all the things you can say; 'How did you feel seeing Derek for the first time' or 'How do you feel now that you've accomplished a major goal in your life' or maybe just go with the old 'how do you feel'!' I start raising my voice now. He has really pushed my buttons to an extent where I am not in the mood of waiting a minute longer standing here. I take his lab coat off my shoulders and throw it at his chest. I start walking away and I make my way through the pouring rain to my old street. I take off my heels and walk toward the stairway that leads to my apartment building and I sit on the third stair. I put my belongings beside me and I start crying.  
I was in love with Mark and he took advantage of my feelings to inflate his ego. This was the first time I opened myself to a relationship and I ended up being hurt. You never really think these things would happen to you when you read it in books or see it in movies. You think that with enough care you can avoid the heartbreakers – those people that you are more prone to being hurt from. But it happens. It's inevitable. And it happened to me. I wonder what Bruce is going to think when he arrives at the hospital and I'm not there. Will he be worried about me? I think I should call him. I start to dial his phone number and press call. I lower my head in my arms and cry some more. Hopefully he'll answer.

'Rachel,' I hear his voice through the phone.  
'Are you okay?' He asks.  
I try to compose myself and attempt to get some words out.  
'No, I'm not. Are you at the hospital?' I say, crying.  
'No. Look up.' I quickly look up and spot the Rolls Royce parked across the street and Bruce standing in front of it. He crosses the street and runs towards me. He sits next to me on the staircase and puts his hand around my shoulder and I put my head on his chest.  
'I thought that when I had my doctorate I would finally feel complete but I don't.' I say.  
'Don't worry; it's all going to be OK.' He says.

We sit in the rain for a while, holding each other until two forty. We'd been sitting here for nearly twenty minutes.  
'Come on, let's go home.' He stands up and picks up my belongings with his right hand while holding me with his left hand. He opens the door of his car for me and I get in. I never felt it outside from the crying and the rush of emotions but I'm freezing cold. Bruce gets in the car, turns on the engine and immediately turns on the heater. He drives off and at a red light, he grabs a black wool overcoat from the back seat and puts it over me so that It covers my arms and neck.  
'Here, this'll keep you warm for a while.' He says. We start to make our way up to Cicero and I realize that we are on avenue Y, where the hospital is.  
'Where are we going?' I say, shivering.  
'I'm going to give Mark what he deserves.' He says. My heart starts to race and I start wondering what Bruce is going to do. And how did he know about Mark? I start to think that Derek called him. We arrive at the hospital and Bruce parks across the street from Joe's bar, my old hangout with Derek. Bruce gets out of the car, slamming the door behind him. I start to think that this is serious. I quickly put on my shoes, I get out of the car and I put the coat on properly. I race towards Bruce and ask him,  
'Bruce, what are you doing? There's nothing to be done. I'm finished with Mark.'  
'You may be, but I'm not.'  
He quickly removes his jacket and hands it over to me, leaving him wearing only his dress shirt and vest. He starts rolling up his sleeves.  
He quickly walks through the hospital doors and with Mark's poor luck, Bruce spots him talking to a nurse at the front desk.  
He quickly walks towards him and I stop a few metres away, afraid of what he will do. Mark sees Bruce walking towards him and greets him.  
'Bruce! How are you! Nice to see y – '  
Bruce throws a punch at Mark's face and his nose starts bleeding.  
'That's what you get for hurting Rachel.' Bruce says. He shakes his right hand in pain when Mark stands upright and punches Bruce in the face, right below his eye.  
'Bruce!' I scream.  
I run towards him in disbelief and I whisper,  
'Are you okay?!'  
'Stay back.' He says; his voice slightly rougher than his normal voice.  
He quickly composes himself and throws another punch at Mark but this time in his abdomen. I don't think this is going to end either well or soon so I step in. I run to the middle of the fight and break them apart.  
'Stop! _Stop!_' I shout.  
'Enough out of both of you!'  
I point to the nurse by the desk. 'You, page doctor Torres and doctor Shepherd.'  
Callie appears from the elevator and runs towards Mark with a horrified look on her face. I guess there was no need paging her.  
'Mark! Are you okay? Mark!' She shouts.  
'I'm fine, just get that maniac out of here!' Mark says, signalling to Bruce. I look to Mark and Callie and notice everyone in the room staring at us. I force Bruce to stand up and I help him out the door. We walk towards the car and I place him on the back seat but as soon as I sit in the driver's seat, he walks out the back door and sits next to me at the front and I drive off.  
'Where to?' I ask.  
'Home.'

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_A/N: Thank you to WoR for taking time to write a review again! By the way, i have had an idea to make a Polyvore account to reveal what Rachel's outfits are for every chapter. Please feel free to check them out at .com =)_


	4. A Hard Day's Night

4

Both me and Bruce are sitting on his bed. 'You didn't have to do that,' I say, cleaning his wound. Mark's punch was so hard that it slightly opened Bruce's left eye corner. 'Yes I did, that man is a pig. I don't even know why you started going out with him the first place; he doesn't deserve you.' He says. My mind starts to wander off to when we met. Bruce had held a party for all of the doctors at Gotham General Hospital as a thank-you for their services. It was an idea that was brought forward by the mayor after his sister-in-law's daughter had suffered from leukaemia and the chief of surgery at GGH had offered her a pro bono surgery. Every doctor got invited and it was a black tie event. Bruce was socializing with all the doctors and making jokes. I know that he was very interested in talking with the attending surgeons because he said that they were the ones who had the best experiences as doctors; Bruce always said that he wished he had been a doctor, something he may have inherited from his father. Anyhow, he'd joined a small group of surgeons at the party which included Derek, chief Webber, Miranda Bailey and Mark. I distinctly remember that night because the night before me and Bruce had a discussion about the way he was and his string of sexual encounters with multiple women. Back then I was deeply in love with him (well, haven't I always?), and running into random, semi-dressed women whenever I paid him a visit made me think of how little he cared about me that right after we'd seen each other the night before he had felt the need to have sex with a woman at the bar. I was looking to get back at him but I never thought of a way until the party. I was walking around in circles throughout the room when I finally decided to join Bruce. I walked towards him and found them laughing at a joke that Mark had said. 'Rachel! How lovely to see you! Let me present to you Miss Miranda Bailey, Mr Richard Webber and Mark Sloan. Mark here cracks up very good jokes.' I looked at Mark and noticed that he wasn't wearing a tie. _A little bit too casual for a black tie event, don't you think... _'Nice to meet you all.' I said, 'My pleasure.' Mark replied. Right after I saw the look in his eyes, I knew that he was interested in me.

'I'm sorry, your name is…'  
'Rachel Dawes,'  
'Rachel, what a beautiful name. Say Rachel, may I buy you a drink?' I glanced at Bruce to see how he would react but he was too caught up in a conversation with Webber. I was furious at the fact that he didn't care, so I turned to Mark and responded with 'Sure' out of spite.

He held his arm out and I looped mine in his while walking towards the bar. I thought that I'd finally found a way to get back at Bruce for all of those humiliating confrontations with his one-night stands.  
It now occurred to me; I met Mark at that party. He had asked me out on a date at that party and we started going out not long after. Bruce held that party. Bruce had invited Mark to that party and Bruce had introduced me to Mark at that party. If it weren't for Bruce I may never have met Mark. I hear my name being called and I snap back into reality when I notice a concerned Bruce looking at me. 'Rachel, are you okay?' He asks. 'Yeah, I'm fine. I just got to thinking… Remember that party that you held for Gotham General?' He looks at me with confusion, as if wondering why I would bring this up now. 'Yeah, I remember'. He says. 'That's where I met Mark. You were talking to him and a few other doctors and you introduced us.' I say. I can see a surprised look in his face while he starts to recollect what happened that night. 'Wow. I hadn't thought about that night in a long time. I gotta tell you, if I had known the kind of man he was at that time I would have given him the little surprise I gave him today.' We laugh together and after a few seconds only our smiles remain.

'Rachel, about the night before the party -' He utters,  
'Bruce, you don't have to say anything, we already talked about that then.'  
'No, I do have to say something. You deserve to be treated better. I may not have said it then but I have thought about it and I do know it and that is that everything I have done to you before was a slap in the face. I am so sorry.'  
I can really see an apologetic look in his face and I know that he means what he says.  
'It really is okay, Bruce. I was too sensitive. I really don't care if the cheerleading squad of the Gotham Rogues come out of that door as long as we remain friends.' I say. 'Well, there's not much I'm sure of but I can assure you that.' We stay quiet for a few minutes while I hold an ice pack below his eye when he starts looking at me with the same look that he had yesterday before we kissed. I knew where this was going and I knew that it wasn't a good idea but I didn't care. I return his look and we stare at each other for what felt like a minute when we slowly start to reach into each other. When our lips start to touch my phone starts to ring. I freeze for a second and ask myself if I really want to pick it up. If I pick it up, the moment is gone but if I don't, there's no going back. He looks at me as if asking what I want to do. 'I'm sorry but I have to grab this.' I say. 'Of course, go ahead.' I take my phone and walk to the guest room to find a text message from Emily, a fellow co-worker, telling me that I had to be at the office by eleven in the morning. I realized that I'd confused my ringtone from my text tone, which are two different sounds. That just makes me see how distraught I was. I sit at the foot of the bed for a minute and wonder what I should do; then I get an idea. I turn off my phone and place it at the bottom of my cluttered bag. I take my heels off, take the elastic band out of my hair and leave it out. I walk out of the room and walk into Bruce's bedroom. I find him sitting on the centre of the bed, 'What was that about?' He asks, 'It's not important.' I answer. I start walking toward the bed, climb on it and plant my lips on his. I kiss him with as much, if not more desire as I had the night before; an arduous, sensual kiss that neither of us could stop. It went on for some time until I leaned back with him. I now understood why all of the girls that walked out of his penthouse appeared to have a wide smile on their faces. The rest of the night was incredible, and worth the nineteen years I've known him. It was a night I looked forward to sharing with Bruce in more than fifteen years. I gave myself to him tonight, and he gave himself to me.

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_A/N: Don't forget to check out Rachel's outfit for this chapter on Polyvore at hard_days_night/set?id=57145953 =)_


	5. Rain on my Parade

5

I hail a cab driver outside Bruce's penthouse and it stops along the curb. As I get in, I tell the driver to go to 1285 6th Avenue and he drives off. It's 10.45 and if I don't get to the firm in less than ten minutes, I'm going to miss the meeting. Throughout the ride, I couldn't help but think about last night. I woke up this morning happy and joyful. Last night was… indescribable. It was amazing. We spent the whole night together, entwined and caught up in so many feelings and rushes of emotions. I still feel intoxicated with the smell of his cologne, and I love it. It had driven me crazy all night. I wondered if Bruce felt the same way though. If he felt that yesterday was as mind blowing and surreal as I feel that it was. But sometimes, the night is not only about the experience but about the person with whom you were with; that's what makes it so special. Making love with Bruce was exhilarating and wonderful, and it made me want so much more.

As the cab drives past 6th avenue, I see the 'Scott Weiss and Associates' building standing tall amongst the others. I pay the driver, get out of the cab and walk towards the doors that instantly open to receive me and two other men into the building. I catch a crowded elevator and press the button number 52, noting all of the other bright lights on the panel. It takes almost four minutes for the elevator to get up to my level, but it doesn't matter, because nothing can bring me down today. I walk through a long hallway and towards my office to find a memo stuck to my computer monitor, 'Meet Weiss ASAP'. I smile to myself and think, _after nine years of working at this firm, I'm finally getting my promotion to be paralegal manager_. I walk out of my office and head straight to Weiss's office, taking light steps whilst strutting in my happiness. His office is located at the end of a very long hallway, so I'm practically imagining a catwalk in front of me with Ima Robot's 'Greenback Boogie' playing in my head. I feel as if today couldn't get better – I've had an amazing night, and today I'm going to have great day. I see Weiss reading a newspaper from a far distance and walk towards his assistant, Marissa and ask her if I could see him and she gives me the OK. I walk into his office and stand a couple of metres away from his desk. As I gaze upon the New York skyline through his panoramic window I blurt out, 'You gotta admit, it's a beautiful day, isn't it?' He looks up at me from his newspaper and replies 'Yes, it really is.' I stand quietly for a few moments, trying find words to start the conversation. I may just start with his request. 'You wanted to see me?' I ask, anxiously. 'Yes, Rachel.' He pauses for some time, as I'd done before. He's searching for words to say what he wants to say. 'I don't know how to say this but… I'm afraid I'm going to have to let you go.' I stood numb upon him. I couldn't fathom the idea in my head. 'You're – you're firing me?' I say. 'I'm sorry.' He says confirming, 'why? After nine years… Why am I suddenly fired?' I ask, trying to search for a reason for sacking me. 'Your long absence obliged the firm to look for a substitute and we are now overstaffed.' Tears started to fall from my eyes as I heard this. I start to flash back to my walk towards Weiss's office and I remember seeing a man leaving a big box next to Alice's old office, which was right next to mine. I piece the puzzle together. 'So you think that a man that has worked here for four years is more valuable than a woman who has worked here for nine years?' I exclaim. 'No Rachel, but you took a leave of absence for _four years_. That is a long time. This means that you've practically worked here for five years which means that you're both equally as valuable in regards to your time involved in this firm. However, in terms of work load, your successor has completed many of the cases that you failed to complete or passed on to your co-workers during your time here at Scott Weiss and Associates.' I freeze in awe, 'Those were two times, I told you that I couldn't handle all the work since I was in law school and you said that you understood and that you would lessen my workload.' He stands and leans towards me, 'You've completed 673 cases in the five active years that you have worked here. Patrick Hansen has done over 750 in four years. I'm sorry, Rachel but this is my decision.' I try not to bawl or break down in front of him just to prevent me from humiliating myself and find some composure.

'I have just completed my PhD at one of the leading universities in the country –'  
'—And Hansen is currently undergoing his PhD at the Gotham University School of Law.'  
I stare at him with hate and glance at the building opposite ours. I stare at the sun atop the building for a moment to figure out my next move. I can't sue for wrongful termination, and even if I could, I won't be. I just have to give in. More tears run down my eyes and I find the need to sniff. I'd better get out of here now.  
'I'll go and pack my things.' I turn to the door and walk to my former office. I walk with my face down, trying to avoid anyone's stare or attention and attempting to cover my crying face with my flowing brown hair. When I get to my office, I look up at my door to find 'Patrick Hansen, Paralegal Manager' inscribed on the crystal door. My attempts at keeping my tears secret will probably be useless. I walk in and grab a box with blank print pages in it, take them all out and place them in a drawer. When I finish packing everything, I grab my bag and my belongings and catch the elevator and I push the ground level button on the panel. I place one hand under the box, trying to balance it, and use my left hand to wipe the tears from my eyes. It's ironic how today I decided to wear my non water-proof mascara, so I most likely look like a hopeless widow who's just attended her deceased husband's funeral. When the elevator opens at ground level, I walk out and rush to the staff ladies room. Nobody goes in there at this hour since everyone's either at a meeting or busy receiving visitors. I lock myself inside a bathroom stall, place my belongings on the floor and break down on the spot. To think that I believed I was getting my promotion that day and ended up being fired was a whole new level of humiliation. It was something I was not expecting, especially after having earned a doctorate degree. After twenty minutes of crying and bawling in the ladies' bathroom, I walk out of Scott Weiss and Associates and walk to central park. When I arrive, I sit by the Father of our Sons fountain. I begin to ponder on my life and what I should do. Being a paralegal has not worked out for me. My first two years at the law firm were very boring. After I'd realized that I loved law but found that being a paralegal was unsatisfying, I decided to start a career in law to be a lawyer in my third year at the firm. After a year, the work load really started getting to me and my studies started affecting my work and vice versa, so I quit studying and settled for my current career. Now I'm starting to examine if I made the right choice or not. Several possibilities start rolling in my head. I just came back from living in Seattle, I've only been in Gotham for two days, I could easily fly back and maybe even get my apartment back; but then I would be leaving Bruce and I know that I really don't want to do that and I think that neither does he. I think of several options and none of them fill my requirements. I either need a degree to be a lawyer or leave Gotham, and I can't do any of those things. I'm just going to find another job where I'm more appreciated. Where should I go? How should I start? When do I begin? Only questions fill my head now – and no answers. I wonder if I should tell Bruce… He'd only be worried about me and offer his penthouse as a place to stay. This would be great since I currently have no money and no source of income, but I don't want Bruce's pity. I've been humiliated enough in the past forty-eight hours. I really do not wish to tell Bruce, but I really have to tell someone. I have to tell someone about Bruce and about my work and about my life in general, since I'm so confused at this moment. I space out for a few moments and realize that I don't have to search so deep after all. I take my phone out of my bag and my fingers slide across the number pad and dial Derek's number. I press call and wait an anxious three rings, mentally begging him to pick up, when I hear his voice. 'Hello?' He sounds rushed and stressed, 'Derek! Hey, you don't sound good. Are you okay?' Hopefully he won't have a surgery to attend to, 'Oh yes, I just finished a surgery. What's up?' Well, at least he wasn't in one. 'Well… are you available to talk?' I dread the answer that I know he will give me. 'I'm sorry, Rach, but you don't know how tired I am right now. Do you think this can wait a couple of hours?' The fact that my brother has always been my best friend second to Bruce and he's still unreachable to me at times is deeply frustrating and upsetting, but I wash those thoughts away and focus on not keeping my brother awake any longer. 'Of course, I know that you need to rest… I just… I just really need someone to talk to and it can't be Bruce.' Despite the fact that I am unable to see the expression on his face, I know that my revelation shocks him, but I know that this won't be of any relevance when I reveal what the reason behind my call was. 'OK… well, why don't you try someone who you've known a while longer than Bruce; maybe she might be of help.' I pause for a second and remind myself of Abigail; Abigail Boswell. She was my primary school friend and she was always there for me. She always helped me with my English homework and I always helped her with her maths. We ended up attending the same high school and eventually we went our own ways. She ended up becoming a lawyer and now works at one of Gotham City's most important and prestigious law firms. We always called each other and we used to hang out every Wednesday at the corner of east and 6th avenue after work to talk about friends, work and life itself. We said goodbye with a warm embrace before I left for Seattle. We sent e-mails and we wrote to each other briefly but our friendship was hard to keep up with both a job and school so we disconnected for a while and I haven't called her since. 'You really think she'd like to talk to me after two years?' I ask. 'Rachel, you're like sisters. She loves you and she was there when Bruce wasn't. Talk to her.' I reflect on Derek's words as I look around the park. 'Alright, I guess I gotta start with something. Thank you, Derek. I'll talk to you later.' I say, meaning my words. 'Don't worry about it… But Rachel, whatever it is that's bothering you, don't stress too much about it. It'll get better… and I'm sorry for not being able to talk to you right now, I really am.' 'Don't worry Derek, it's fine I completely understand. Goodbye, love you.' He replies with a goodbye and an 'I love you too' and hangs up. I take a few moments to think about how I should start things with Abigail but new thoughts start to fill my mind. I _always _plan everything; why can't I let things take their course? Why do I have to think all the time and play my moves and roll my thoughts back and forth? Why can't I just do something randomly? I decide that if I were ever to take action to these thoughts, this is the time to do it. I quickly begin to dial Abigail's number and stop anymore thoughts from entering my head. I put the phone to my ear and after the first ring, I hold the phone a few centimetres away from my ear and close my eyes for a second, contemplating whether I should really do this or not. The sound of her voice answers this question for me.

'Yes, you're speaking with Abigail Boswell of Pearson Hardman, how can I help you?' My voice stutters in confusion; I must have dialled her work number.  
'Hello, Miss Abigail Boswell, this is Rachel Dawes of Scott Weiss and Associates and I was wondering if you were interested in seeing me today at the corner of West 56th and 6th Avenue to join me for a cup of coffee at Starbucks at six?' I can hear her gasp through the phone. Luckily, she's not upset but glad to hear my voice.  
'Oh my god! Rachel? Rachel Dawes, Rachel? Oh my god, I can't believe this! Oh, I've missed you so much! Are you back from Seattle?'  
'Yes! I know, Abby, I've missed you so much too. I'm sorry that we haven't made contact since I was in Seattle but I was swamped with work and my studies… I am back in Gotham though. I came two days ago.' Hopefully she won't mind that the fact that I didn't call her the minute I arrived to Gotham either.  
'Oh no, I totally understand, I'm just so glad that you're back! And as for your invitation, of course I'll meet you at Starbucks. Although, do you think we can make it a little bit earlier? I have plans from three to seven, but I do get off work at twelve.' I glance at my watch and noticed that I have been sitting here for forty minutes and it is now 11.50.  
'Alright, how about one o'clock?' I say, hoping that she'll accept.  
'Of course, one o'clock is great. It's really lovely to talk to you, Rach. There's so much to tell.' As she speaks, I wonder what her plans for today are that will take four hours of her day and an early leave off work. If there's something that I learned throughout our friendship is that Pearson Hardman does not award early leaves off work easily; she must have something important going on.  
'Well, I can tell you now that I certainly need to tell you things too,' I glance to my left where my belongings sit beside me. 'I guess I'll see you at one then!' I say.  
'Sure! But right now, I'm sorry but I have to go. I'll talk to you later! Love you.'  
'Bye!' She hangs up the phone and I place my mobile in the box. Today has been a tiring day and I feel like I need to wash it all off me; literally. I grab my box and catch the subway, making my way to Bruce's penthouse to change into something more casual and to have a quick shower before meeting with Abigail. I don't want to show up in my work clothes – although she will already know that something's up if it's the middle of the day on a Monday and I show up with black jeans and a red blouse. I arrive at Bruce's home and find that nobody's here; Alfred must have taken the day off and Bruce must be at Wayne Enterprises. I quickly walk up the stairs, have a quick shower and change into my black jeans and a loose, chiffon, long-sleeve red blouse and I slip on my black pumps. I do my hair up in a bun and I apply a small amount of make-up to give me a natural look. I want to look good when I see Abigail. I always envied her beauty. She had a touch of elegance about her; you knew that she was one of those women that had such class and that were so beautiful with every move they made. She's a very simple girl – she can even be the girl next door sometimes, but when she wanted to impress, she made an impact on everyone in the room. I may not be as beautiful as her, but I can at least try to look my best. I quickly change my handbag to a black one and grab my long black coat. I run to the living room and realize that I'd forgotten something. I walk up the stairs and go to the dresser in the guest room and pick up my mother's gold ruby ring; it's always been my most precious possession. I quickly walk back down to the living room and press the button on the elevator to down. I haven't seen Abigail in a long time, so I'm feeling very nervous and, if it's possible, nauseous. The elevator doors open and I walk in and press the 'Ground Level' button.

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_A/N: Thank you so much to SmellsLikeTeenSpirit (awesome name btw) and WoR for reviewing! I would not be uploading anymore chapters if it weren't for you =) By the way, don't for get to check out (/)somethinglike528491 to see what Rachel wears for The Night is Darkest Before the Dawn. Keep reading! Oh and by the way, i'm sorry for uploading a chapter a week later (i knew i said i didn't wanna do that), but i had a lot of work with school lately and also i have to be in certain mood to be able to write. I've also ran out of spare chapters =S so now i'm uploading as i write. But i have got GREAT ideas for the next two chapters! You're gonna love them =) until then, hope you enjoy this one!_


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